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A royal visit to the Sports Hub

Brunei Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah (in green) touring the Sports Hub with Dr Maliki Osman (third from left) and Mr Lawrence Wong (right) yesterday. The prince experienced the new stadium's "bowl cooling" system, which cools spectators by blowing chilled air through holes in the tier below each seat, as well as the opening of the retractable roof.

BRUNEI Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah ended a five-day official trip here yesterday with visits to the Sports Hub and the Gardens by the Bay.

At the Sports Hub, he witnessed the opening of the retractable roof and a demonstration of the "bowl cooling" system - key features of the National Stadium's design.

Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong hosted a briefing for him on the Sports Hub and on Singapore's preparations for the SEA Games, which will be held here next year. Also present was Minister of State (National Development and Defence) Mohamad Maliki Osman.

The Crown Prince, who is Senior Minister in the Brunei Prime Minister's Office and chairman of Brunei's 10th National Development Plan Committee, was also briefed on Singapore's latest development plans. It was hosted by Minister of State (National Development) Desmond Lee.

Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah's visit was at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean for the Singapore-Brunei Young Leaders' Programme (YLP), launched jointly last year to strengthen ties between younger leaders from both countries.

Mr Teo said the annual visits "help leaders from both countries get to know one another better, and are useful for keeping us updated on developments in both countries", a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said. He also looked forward to next year's trip to Brunei with his colleagues.

This article was first published on September 6, 2014. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.